Country@HeartDinner Diaries

Blazing Saddle Cowboy Beans

By Tim H. Martin

This mighty meaty medley of beans is a side dish tailor-made for hunting camps, tailgates, family gatherings and church functions. An improved version of chuck wagon beans, this hearty recipe will steal the show at any potluck dinner. It pairs particularly well with barbecue fare such as grilled burgers, chicken, hotdogs and ribs. It freezes well,... READ MORE

Albondigas! The Mysterious Mexican Soup

By Tim H. Martin

Trout Quest Leads to Mysterious Soup. I’d never even heard of Albondigas soup until I saw it on the appetizer menu at Ed’s Cantina in Estes Park, Colorado. This discovery came in the autumn of 2017 after three rugged days of fly fishing for greenback cutthroat trout — an endangered species found in the remote lakes of Rocky Mounta... READ MORE

Old South Tomato Pie

By Tim H. Martin

Recipe Courtesy of Walters’ Gas & Grill • Society Hill, Alabama. I was beginning to think tomato pie was extinct. The dish seems to have vanished from the Deep South like cotton mills, moonshine stills and Ivory-Billed Woodpeckers. But lo and behold, I found a living, breathing specimen in rural Alabama, hiding between the fried okra... READ MORE

Cajun-fried Largemouth Bass

By Tim H. Martin

Catch and Release, Into Hot Grease! Ingredients and Directions: In a lidded container, combine 1/4 cup hot sauce with 1 cup buttermilk. Soak up to a dozen hand-sized bass fillets in the liquid for a minimum of two hours, preferably overnight. Allow fillets to drip-dry in a strainer before seasoning. Put 10 oz. Cajun Fish Fry Seasoning Mix in a flat... READ MORE

Tasso: America’s Great Unknown Secret Ingredient

By Tim H. Martin

So, what is tasso? I believe it’s the best-kept secret ingredient in all of American food culture. Unless you’re from the Cajun Country of southern Louisiana, you’ve probably never heard of it — even my spell-checker doesn’t recognize the word! Tasso (pronounced TAH-so) is heavily smoked pork shoulder with a spicy crus... READ MORE

Pork Ribs à la Buckmasters

By Tim H. Martin

Recipe Courtesy of Buckmasters’ Big Mike Foster The Buckmasters family knows him affectionately as Big Mike. He’s the grillmaster for our company gatherings and the guy with the closely guarded method of cooking pork ribs that puts restaurants to shame. Mike Fosters’s ribs are so tender you can slide one in your mouth, pull out a ... READ MORE

Country@Heart is Tim H. Martin’s collection of country comfort food recipes with stories behind each dish. Many were collected on hunting and fishing trips throughout the world. Tim has been Rack Magazine’s art director, a Buckmasters staff writer and an editor since 1996. Make sure to click "PRINT THE RECIPE" to print off your favorites!